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Selected:Assumption SurfacingArchitecture Decision RecordDecision Rights MappingArchitecture Inception Canvas
| Criterion |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Decision Making Decision Rights Mapping |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. | In organizations with many stakeholders, it often blurs who actually decides and who is merely consulted. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Decision Rights matrix and an agreement. | The Architecture Inception Canvas bundles the first architecture questions into a compact decision picture. It fits when an initiative is still in motion but still needs clear guardrails. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 15-45 min | 90-180 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1-3 | 4-12 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Decision Rights Matrix, Agreement | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | DecisionGovernanceAlignmentResponsibility | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |